Skates, such as ice skates or roller skates, typically have a skate boot and a ground-engaging element, such as a skate blade or a set of wheels. The skate boot typically has a shell, a toe cap, and tongue covering at least a portion of the forefoot of a skater when the skate is in use. The tongue is stitched or otherwise permanently connected to the toe cap. The tongue typically comprises layers of different materials stitched together, including a felt (or other soft material) inner liner, a leather outer shell, and a lacebite component made of suitable hard material (such as a thick piece of leather or a plastic insert). The inner liner is the innermost layer of the assembly and rests against the skater's foot. The leather outer shell provides structure to the tongue and protection to at least a portion of the skater's forefoot. The lacebite component is the outermost and stiffest component of the tongue; it provides structure to the tongue and distributes the pressure applied by the skate boot lace on the skater's forefoot when the skate is in use.
Since the various layers of materials described above are sewn together, manufacturing and assembling typical skate boot tongues may be relatively complex, time consuming and expensive. In certain instances, stitches may be prone to wear and lead to premature break down of the tongue. In certain instances, stitches may also rub against a skater's forefoot, creating discomfort for the skater.
Furthermore, the shape, length, thicknesses, rigidity, and support and protection properties of a tongue may have a significant impact on a skater comfort and performance considering the skater's particular skating style and physical characteristics. However, the typical skate boot tongue cannot be adapted to a user's particular skating style and physical characteristics. A skater may wish to use skate boots with different fit, comfort, and support depending on the conditions under which the skate will be used and therefore, a single skater may need to have different pairs of skates for each condition under which the skates are used, or otherwise use a single pair of skates that is a compromise between the various desired features.
Traditional skate boot tongues that provide enhanced support are generally more rigid and less comfortable, while more flexible and comfortable tongues provide less support.
Furthermore, traditional skate boot tongues made of a plurality of layers of different materials tend to be heavy and not to breathe appropriately. When the skate boot is in use, traditional tongues can tend to capture the moisture from the skater's foot, which can make them even heavier and less comfortable.
Finally, the aesthetic properties of skate boots are increasingly important for skate consumers and contribute to the skater's skating experience. However, the above described construction of traditional skate boot does not leave much room for improvements of the tongue's appearance and changes thereto may be time consuming and expensive from a manufacturing perspective.
Therefore, there is a need for a more durable skate boot tongue having a simpler construction, which may not require any stitching or only a limited amount of stitching. There is also a need for a skate boot tongue having enhanced breathing or ventilation properties and having a structural body made of a material that would be easy to manufacture with different rigidity and flexibility properties, that provides a good compromise between rigidity and comfort, and that may be adapted to a particular skater's needs. There is also a need for a skate boot tongue that may easily and inexpensively be manufactured with a wide variety of aesthetic features. Finally, there is still a need for a skate boot tongue that could easily be replaced by a skate owner.